Paul Pierce on Deron Williams: ‘Why come back when you’re only 75, 80 percent?’

The Nets are going to make the playoffs this year. Not only did they get the 4th seed last season, but they added Jason Terry, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett to their roster. With all the talent that they have, it’s no wonder people are picking them to go far this postseason.

Deron Williams has been out this preseason with a sprained ankle, and new head coach Jason Kidd has been cautious with his star point guard. He will likely miss the season opener, and now Paul Pierce has voiced his opinion, via the New York Post:

"The question now is: Will Williams go forward enough to play in a game this week, or in the season opener next week? That remains to be seen. When he spoke to reporters Friday, Williams said part of what has allowed him to remain patient has been conversations with Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry about understanding that it’s how he feels in May and June that matters, as opposed to October and November.For Pierce, after seeing the Celtics suffer at least one significant injury each year since winning the title in 2008, it’s a message he has learned from experience.“Why come back when you’re only 75, 80 percent? Then you come back and you go back down to 50 percent,” Pierce said. “We’d rather see a guy take all the rest that he needs and get to 100 percent so he’s ready to go.”The question now is: Will Williams go forward enough to play in a game this week, or in the season opener next week? That remains to be seen. When he spoke to reporters Friday, Williams said part of what has allowed him to remain patient has been conversations with Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry about understanding that it’s how he feels in May and June that matters, as opposed to October and November.For Pierce, after seeing the Celtics suffer at least one significant injury each year since winning the title in 2008, it’s a message he has learned from experience.“Why come back when you’re only 75, 80 percent? Then you come back and you go back down to 50 percent,” Pierce said. “We’d rather see a guy take all the rest that he needs and get to 100 percent so he’s ready to go.”"

It makes sense for the Nets to be cautious here. They have enough talent to hold them over until he returns, and his health will be more important in April than it will be in November. Don’t expect him to miss too much time, but it’s something to watch. It’s still weird to say Brooklyn Nets’ forward Paul Pierce.